The Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies hosted Saad Albazei, a member of its advisory board and Professor of Comparative Studies at King Saud University, as part of its monthly lecture programme. The lecture, titled “Humanities in the Gulf: An Institutional Crisis” was held on Wednesday, 6 December 2023, at the Arab Center, and was introduced by Head of the Unit, Haider Saeed.
Albazei began his lecture by pointing out that the crisis in the social sciences and humanities is extensive and clear to observe. Those who work in colleges and departments that teach this field, as well as researchers in study centers, are aware of this global crisis. Varying from one country to another, from one discipline to another, and from one institution to another, this crisis is old and deeply rooted.
Albazei narrated his personal testimony of the humanities crisis in the Gulf, including the negative image projected onto students of social sciences and humanities. He noted that society is more appreciative of students of the natural sciences, as if the humanities are not sciences in themselves. Albazei believes that the field continues to suffer as the student numbers dwindle, specializations thin out, and educational policy rescinds its support.
Albazei stressed that modern government policy to tie educational output to the labour market and economic demand has directed social science and humanities education. Research centers are also facing a crisis of their own, as despite being an intellectual and scientific force implicitly capable of making and directing policies, there is a widening gap between the thought produced by these centers and decision-making circles. This crisis is not only because of the connection of research centres to decision-making circles, but also to the university education that produces the researchers enrolled in these centers. The reliance on government support means they are affected by public policies and strategies adopted at every level.
Albazei argued that a potential solution to the crisis could manifest in the “digital humanities”, by investing in the achievements of the digital world in developing research in social sciences and humanities. This field presents a different vision, linking the humanities to the natural sciences, and questioning the meaning of the humanities itself. In the digital humanities, the means of production themselves become part of knowledge, by shifting from the centrality of the book to visual and digital means, through websites, video, graphic design, etc. This also attracts institutional support because research becomes more relevant to contemporary demands, increasing feasibility for research funding.
Albazei concluded by returning to the challenges facing the social sciences and humanities, noting that fixed curricula are one of the most serious challenges facing the humanities, in addition to the many red lines and critical thinking restricted by pragmatism. Unfortunately, application prevails at the expense of theory, and practice over thought, researchers avoid problematic issues, and there is little room for debate, weakening the social sciences and humanities.
